The Elusive, but still Unwanted End of Band Camp
by Free Sparrow
Summary: The final moments of band camp at SHS...Six Flags, Dippin' Dots, Ski Patrol, and Egyptian war ahead. Read and review!


AN: Whoo! Another idea came and bit me…so…you know. Little song fic thing to _Summer '79_, by the Ataris. I've never done a song fic, so I figured I should give it a shot. And, it's another self-narrative, which actually happened. The ending of my freshman year of band camp- coming home from Six Flags New England. I'm actually amazed I can remember some of this stuff.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Our last day of summer, 1979  
Gotta live it up one time before it's over  
We will make history tonight.

"COME ON! WE GOTTA GO..NOW!" Chandra yelled from the front of the large group, nearly running. It was 6:00, and we were supposed to be at the buses by at least 6:30. And we still had to use our meal coupons. All ten of us sprinted through the line at the cheap looking buffet near the front of the park. Everyone grabbed the same thing- chicken tenders and fries- and sat down at one large table. As we shoved food into our mouths at lightning speed, Chris, a freshman drummer, spoke up.

"So…unstressful, huh?" Everyone laughed. _  
  
Out at the drive-in  
All of our closest friends, they will be sneaking in  
You'll be spending the whole night  
Trying everything you can to get that girl to notice you._

As everyone was finishing up their food and getting ready to leave, Matt completely stopped in his tracks, staring at something a bit further back into the park.

"DIPPIN' DOTS!" A gleeful smile flew across his face, as he sprinted back towards the stand. Chandra and I looked at each other, and ran after him.

"Matt, you know we're going to be late, right?" Chandra told him, catching up to him in the line at the stand.

"Yeah, but you _cannot_ make me leave a theme park without getting Dippin' Dots. It's inhumane. You guys need to get some, actually." He grabbed both of us and forced us into line with him.

"Freeze dried ice cream?"

"Shut up, it's good!"

"Whatever you say…"_  
  
"We Are the Champions" playing out on the radio station  
Everyone sing along with these anthems of our generation.  
Cruisin' down Pacific Coast Highway,  
Put the top down, crawl into the back seat.  
Let's create anthems of our own tonight.  
  
Down at the roller rink,  
All the cool kids crowded around the air hockey table.  
"Hey, my best friend likes you,"  
I hear you shout at me as you go skating by.  
  
Sneak out of your window, darlin'  
Let's live like outlaws, honey  
We'll never look back._

Once Matt had finally forced at least half of the group to buy Dippin' Dots (they were good, actually), we made our way toward the front of the park, where we were supposed to be meeting the bus. It was about quarter to seven by now.

"Nobody's gonna get in trouble, you're with a drum major." Matt tried to assure us. But all thoughts of _not_ being in trouble were completely erased from everyone's head when the sight of Carl, the band director, standing in front of the coach bus with his arms folded and a disgusted look on his face messed up that thought.

Now, to completely appreciate this image, you have to think about Carl himself. He's over 6 feet tall, bald, and built like a football player. He has this thing about treating all his students like adults, instead of just kids. And, because he's a tenor sax player, he has always been much stricter to sax players, but warms up to them almost immediately when he finds out how good they are. And, unfortunately for us, the two self-appointed "leaders" of the group, Matt and myself, were sax players.

"WHERE WERE YOU GUYS??" We all cringed slightly.

Matt was the first to speak up. "Errmm…sorry Carl, but we lost track of time…"

All he did was stare at us. After what seemed like an eternity, his voice escaped in a low grumble.

"Get on the bus. **NOW**."

We all scrambled onto the bus as fast as we could, trying not to spill our cups of Dippin' Dots. Everyone applauded as we boarded the bus. Apparently we had been the last ones to get back, and now that we were there, we could finally leave. I sat down with Jen Johannes, pushed my baseball cap back onto my head, and waited for the bus to start on its 4-hour journey back home. _  
  
Climb out on this rooftop,   
And stare at the city lights below us  
This world belongs to us tonight  
The kids will keep ragin' on-  
And they ain't never gonna stop._

"NO! YOU LOSE! PENALTY!" Matt screamed out at Ali as we passed by the Blockbuster in Merrimack. We were nearly home.

At first, we had watched the movie _Ski Patrol_, but when it finished, we had just barely passed into New Hampshire. So, Matt took up the idea to play Egyptian War. _Except_, he had to be the dealer.

Boy, was that a mistake.

Because we were so close to home, Matt had decided that he would make the game go as quickly as possible. So, if anyone took more than 3 seconds to put down the next card, he dealt out a "penalty" and threw about ten cards at them from the deck. _  
  
"We Are the Champions" playing out on the radio station  
Everyone sing along with these anthems of our generation.  
Cruisin' down Pacific Coast Highway,  
Put the top down, crawl into the back seat.  
Let's create anthems of our own tonight._

Before we could completely finish the game, the bus pulled into the parking lot of Souhegan High School, and parked outside the band room doors. It was completely pitch black by this point- it had to have been at least 11 at night. I scrambled off the bus quickly, opened my backpack, and started rifling through my things, trying to find the key to my bike lock. Matt and Chandra got off the bus and looked at me strangely.

"Jen, you need a ride home?" Matt asked me. "I'm dropping off Chandra, so I might as well bring you home as well."

"No, I'm fine, I've got my bike. I just have the find the…**_aha!_**" I held up the elusive set of keys. "Keys to the lock. See you guys when school starts."

They both nodded, and with a loud "BYE JEN!" they headed off towards Matt's car. I walked in the opposite direction, to the other side of the school and the bike rack, where my piece of junk 15 speed was parked.

As I pulled on my earphones and adjusted the straps on my backpack, and The Ataris began blaring into my conscience, I realized how much I was really going to miss this.

Once my bike was unlocked and pulled off the rack, I started home. A car speeding out of the parking lot slowed to a creep and honked its horn. I skidded to a stop, looking strangely at the driver of the car. The window rolled down and I realized it was Matt and Chandra. I grinned and waved at the two of them, and started home.


End file.
